Most conventional motorized vehicles, such as the modern-day automobile, include a powertrain that operates to propel the vehicle and power the onboard vehicle electronics. The powertrain, which is sometimes referred to as a “drivetrain,” is generally comprised of an engine that delivers driving power to the vehicle's final drive system (e.g., rear differential, axle, and wheels) through a multi-speed power transmission. Automobiles have traditionally been propelled solely by a reciprocating-piston-type internal combustion engine (ICE) because of its ready availability, relatively inexpensive cost, light weight, and overall efficiency. Such engines include compression-ignited diesel engines and spark-ignited gasoline engines.
Hybrid vehicles, in contrast, utilize alternative power sources to propel the vehicle, minimizing reliance on the engine for power, thereby increasing overall vehicle fuel economy. A hybrid electric vehicle (HEV), for example, generally employs one or more electric machines that operate individually or in concert with an internal combustion engine to propel the vehicle. An electric vehicle (EV), on the other hand, is propelled by one or more onboard electric motors without employing the propulsion power of an ICE. Most electric vehicles and hybrid electric vehicles use battery packs, often comprised of several individual battery modules, to provide current to the motor/generators that propel the vehicle and operate the vehicle accessories. As used herein, the term “electric vehicle” includes vehicles in which the powertrain uses only electrical power for propulsion and vehicles in which the powertrain uses both an electrical power source and/or an internal combustion engine for propulsion.
As electric vehicles become more popular and more prevalent, infrastructure is being developed and deployed to charge such electric vehicles. The charging of electric vehicles may be performed in a variety of different locations that have electric vehicle charging stations (EVCS). Electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE), for example, can include an electric vehicle charging station owned by a vehicle owner (e.g., stowed in an owner's garage), electric vehicle charging stations deployed by retailers (e.g., at gas stations and dedicated electrical charging stations), and more sophisticated electric vehicle charging stations used by automobile service stations and dealers. Facility operators may find it desirable to monitor their filling station and the individual EVCS's to increase security and to prevent theft and damage. In addition, unlike conventional gas stations in which a patron can refill their gasoline tank in a matter of minutes, some present-day EVCS's require between three and eight hours to fully recharge an electric vehicle. Users may therefore find it desirable to recharge their electric vehicle without having to be physically present for the entire duration of the charging cycle. Unattended vehicles, however, are more susceptible to tampering, theft and damage. For the foregoing and other reasons, there is a need for improved monitoring, security and control means for electrical charging stations and EVCS's.